A Diamond–Southampton Partner PhD Studentship
The Scientific Premise
Organisms employ a number of different chemical and structural strategies to produce materials with the specific properties they require. By developing our understanding of these strategies and mechanisms of biomineralisation in general, we can provide inspiration for the design and production of synthetic materials. Sea urchin teeth are a key model system for biomineralisation, using a self-sharpening mechanism to maintain the profile of their cutting edge.
Key Objectives
The aim of this project is to identify the biological contributors to chemical and structural variation in biomineralised structures. Using synchrotron X-radiation and molecular and cell biology, the student will elucidate the molecular and cellular regulators of elemental heterogeneity in the biomineralised teeth of a key model system: sea urchins.
Opportunity to Acquire Diverse Skills
Initially, the project will focus on the mineral structure and elemental content of the teeth and will bring together the capabilities of two beamlines at Diamond Light Source, I14 and I08, to conduct high-resolution X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) mapping to identify differences in chemical composition. Subsequently, the student will identify the genetic and cellular mechanisms which regulate chemical composition using cutting-edge in situ hybridisation approaches and assays of cellular proliferation and skeletal growth. The student will thus gain a wide array of skills from animal husbandry and synchrotron XRF to wet-lab-molecular and cell-biology techniques. By combining high-resolution chemical mapping with data on gene expression, the student will gain a holistic, cross-disciplinary understanding of how elemental composition and structural design contribute to the advanced material properties exhibited by biomineralised structures.
Time Division
The student will spend approximately 50% of their time at the University of Southampton and 50% at Diamond Light Source Ltd, the UK’s national synchrotron science facility, located at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire.
Attributes of Suitable Applicants
(1) A 2.1 or above in biology, chemistry, geology, materials science, engineering or other relevant first degree
(2) An interest in biomineralisation, marine science and the interface between chemistry and biology
(3) The ability to work independently and as part of a team
(4) Good communication skills
(5) A willingness to learn
(6) Previous experience with X-ray techniques (desirable but not essential)
(7) Prior experience in molecular/cell biology (desirable but not essential)
This project is jointly funded for three and a half years by the University of Southampton and Diamond Light Source Ltd. Successful students will receive a stipend of no less than the standard UKRI stipend rate, currently set at £18,622 for the academic year 2023 to 2024 (the rates for subsequent academic years have not been published), plus a £2,000 per annum stipend top-up.
Diamond Light Source is the UK's national synchrotron science facility, located at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire.
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